Chicken with Avocado Salsa

This fast Mexican-style chicken dinner puts chili-dusted breast meat on warm corn tortillas and tops it with a chunky avocado salsa that comes together while the chicken cooks. The whole thing takes about 25 minutes, microwave included.

The avocado salsa is raw and fresh: ripe avocado tossed with lime juice, chunky salsa, chopped tomato, and sliced green onions. Lime juice does double duty here, keeping the avocado from browning and adding the citrus brightness that ties everything together.

The microwave cooks the chicken evenly if you arrange the pieces around the edges of the dish (not the center, where microwaves heat least) and rotate halfway through. The result is juicy, chili-seasoned chicken that shreds easily into strips.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a ripe avocado that gives slightly when pressed. Too firm and it won’t mash into the salsa. Too soft and it turns to mush.
• Toss the avocado with lime juice immediately after chopping. Browning starts within minutes once the flesh is exposed to air.
• Arrange chicken in a single layer around the edges of the pie plate with the thickest parts facing outward. Microwaves heat from the outside in.
• Warm the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds. Cold tortillas crack when you fold them.

Variations

• Grill or pan-sear the chicken instead of microwaving for charred edges and smoky flavor.
• Add diced mango to the salsa for a tropical-sweet version.
• Use flour tortillas or serve over rice instead of corn tortillas for a different base.